LEGO Rock Band (DS) Review - PAGE 1

When you take one of the biggest names in the toy industry and combine it with one of the most innovative and popular genres in gaming, you get LEGO Rock Band. When the very first trailers and screenshots debuted earlier this year, it was evident the game would have a very tough time appealing to veterans of the Rock Band series, especially due to it being aimed at younger audiences. However the end result is a Nintendo DS title that is highly enjoyable and fresh, that also manages a fair amount of replay value, especially if you team up with a few pals.

Earlier this year, MTV Games launched the first Rock Band title for the PSP, Rock Band: Unplugged -- fans of the game will be glad to hear the developers have taken the non-peripheral formula, and have applied it to the DS platform. Many will have the idea in their heads that a Rock Band game cannot be a Rock Band game without the tonnes of plastic instruments. However, this is a new approach to the series and a great alternative for those who don’t fancy forking out for a new guitar or pair of drum sticks every several months.

Those who have played either Rock Band or Guitar Hero will be familiar with the formula in both gameplay and design: you can either leap straight into a custom playlist composed of the songs you want, or participate in the campaign mode. 25 songs are included, all available to play as soon as you pick up. The variety of tracks have been narrowed down to meet the preferences of younger gamers, but additions such as Counting Crows, Queen and Sum 41 manage to balance out the set list. Besides playing Quick Play mode by yourself, you can experience each song via local multiplayer, which hosts up to four separate players who must all own a copy of the game.

The touring campaign mode is where the bulk of the game is. You will start out with four band mates, looking for fame and fortune, travelling the many realms of the LEGO universe and playing some of the quirkiest and robust concerts around. LEGO Rock Band offers no real plot, instead allowing the players to approach the world tour how they see fit, customising their band members and deciding which venues to travel to. Of course, you will start with nothing, but as you complete set lists and concerts, you will gain fans and Studs, the currency of the LEGO world. After your first few gigs, you will be able to build bigger methods of transport (more venues), and gain the ability to clothe your band members in new threads and decorate their pad.

As I mentioned before the gameplay is identical to any other conventional rhythm game; notes will descend from the fret board and as they pass the bridge at the bottom, players will be required to play the correct color(s) in order to score points, each color being allocated to the four respective buttons (Left, Up, X, and Y). These points can be multiplied if players continue to hit several sequences of notes perfectly. The most significant point to make about the DS version is you will be controlling all four instruments in tandem -- LEGO Rock Band does this by breaking the song into many small segments, and when one of these segments is completed, the player is advised to then switch to another instrument using the L and R buttons. Of course, you could just play one instrument throughout, but each one has a happiness gauge you will need to top up occasionally, hauling in thousands of bonus points in the process.

At first the control scheme and gameplay itself can be overwhelming, but as soon as you play your first few songs, you will be a master in no time. It is worth taking note that the expert difficulty setting has been dumbed down a fraction, but the satisfaction of covering an entire solo, surpassing the best the game has to offer, is very satisfying for sure. Still on the issue of difficulty level, in previous Rock Band games, missing a note will automatically drop your multiplier back down to zero, but in an attempt to make the game easier, the developers have made it so the multiplier will only deplete if the player continues to miss chains of notes.

With LEGO characters you can only go so far when covering the issue of graphics. Each of the customisable band members looks fair, and fans will appreciate the appearances of certain LEGO-cameos of stars including Queen and Bowie. With that said, the stages and characters are pretty irrelevant, due to the fact you will only avert your eyes from the bottom screen a number of times.

The quality of the tracks are dampened when played through the speakers of the DS, so using earphones is advised, but even then the songs won't sound as smooth as they originally do. Developer Backbone Entertainment have done a marvellous job in syncing the rhythm of the game with the 25 available songs, especially when the solo sequences are played out. In addition to these presentational values, the menus and layout are fair too, though the staple LEGO sound effects for selecting menu choices never change.

When broken down, you could easily say the title is simply another brick in the wall, but I would have to disagree. Using the same mechanics the developers used in Rock Band: Unplugged was a great move for the series, and goes to show you don’t need a horde of snazzy peripherals to access these sorts of games. In terms of music preference, those who are into popular hits will appreciate the set list available, though the more hardcore rock fans will be left with a bitter taste in their mouths. If you haven’t already invested in the upcoming Band Hero package for the Nintendo DS, LEGO Rock Band is a great alternative, and will also appeal to those who aren’t existing fans of rhythm-based games.

Comments

Haha, love the page title. Review score got higher then I expected, but since it plays like Rock Band: Unplugged on the PSP, which plays like the original Amplitude on the PS2, I can see why this game would be good. Only thing stopping me from getting it is the setlist. I only like a total of four songs out of the whole setlist.